Peter in Your Pocket by Peter Heylands

The Ultimate Art of Stage Pickpocketing

Peter in Your Pocket reveals the secrets of an art as rare as it is spectacular: stage pickpocketing.

In this book, Peter Heylands shares the expertise he has accumulated over more than thirty years of performing around the world - on stage, aboard cruise ships, and at prestigious events. His approach combines psychology, advanced techniques, timing, humor, elegance, and a genuine sense of showmanship.

Written with clarity, precision, and generosity, Peter blends mechanics, psychology, and theatrical structure to deliver one of the most comprehensive books ever published on pickpocketing in magic.

A Unique Perspective on Pickpocketing in Magic

This book takes you deep into the heart of a fascinating discipline: its origins, its evolution, and - above all - the fundamental reasons why it still works today.

Peter demonstrates how attention, distraction, human anticipation, and numerous psychological biases can become powerful artistic tools in the hands of a magician.

You will also learn how to build an irresistible stage presence: choosing the right spectator, mastering your attitude, using music, lighting, and microphones to your advantage, and establishing a rhythm that makes every steal feel natural, invisible... and inevitable.

Mechanics & Techniques: A Professional Treasure Trove

Peter goes far beyond teaching the techniques used by the world's greatest professionals - for the very first time, he reveals his own methods, closely guarded and refined over several decades.

Discover how to approach, engage, and execute with exceptional fluidity and confidence:
watch steals (leather straps, metal bracelets, smartwatches...)
inside and outside jacket pockets
front and back trouser pockets
stealing glasses, ties, belts, and suspenders
and countless subtleties never explained anywhere else
Every explanation comes directly from his stage experience, with practical advice that can be applied immediately.

The Stage Pickpocket's Toolkit

Peter also reveals secrets that most performers keep to themselves:
how to select and manage volunteers on stage
the crucial role of music, sound, and lighting
how to adapt your act for close-up, stage, cruise ships, or television
how attitude, style, and overall appearance influence the success of a steal
A true professional manual in which every stage detail matters.
A Complete Arsenal of Professional Routines

Far from being limited to a handful of effects, this book brings together a complete repertoire of stage pieces - all tested before thousands of spectators and refined over more than thirty years of professional performance. Each routine has been carefully conceived, structured, and polished to serve the character, strengthen the narrative, and maximize impact.

The Lucky Chip

A funny, interactive, and perfectly structured routine built around a signed casino chip.

Combining humor, impossible choices, a ball of wool, and multiple watch steals, the effect builds steadily toward a brilliant theatrical crescendo.

Ring in Yarn of Wool

Peter analyzes the classic version, identifies its weaknesses - predictability and pacing - and then proposes a modernized approach based on psychology and surprise. His personal handling uses a signed chip, strengthening the misdirection and breathing new life into the routine.

Illegal Business

A narrative reinvention of Easy Money, combining humor about "dirty money," dramatic logic, and Robin Hood-style symbolism. The finale features a powerful transformation that fits the character perfectly.

The Robbery Trick - A Complete Reinvention

Peter presents an entirely reimagined version of this great classic - modern, coherent, theatrical, and genuinely astonishing.

A routine that does more than entertain: it consistently fools the audience.

Miser's Dream - A Completely New Method

Peter presents a version of the Miser's Dream that is:
ideal for introducing pickpocketing within the first few minutes of the show
based on a completely original method
supported by a smooth and brilliantly constructed stage structure
The Egg Bag - An Explosive and Original Finale

Peter revisits the Egg Bag with a revolutionary idea: making the egg appear in the spectator's pocket.

The routine ends with the production of multiple eggs from the assistant's pockets, creating a hilarious, surprising, and unforgettable finale.

The Underwear Gag

Producing a piece of underwear between two knotted scarves is an old classic.

However, this traditional gag - often used by stage pickpockets - generally produces only a weak reaction, both from the assistant and from the audience.

Peter's method is brilliant: it guarantees a natural and spontaneous reaction from the assistant, generating genuine laughter and a much stronger comic impact for the entire audience.

All of these routines are genuine professional pieces, tested and perfected over thousands of live performances.

Peter's Complete Act, Explained in Detail

For the very first time, Peter reveals his complete act in every detail.

This treasure alone would justify purchasing the book.

A Book for Performers Who Want to Stand Out

Peter in Your Pocket is intended for magicians and performers who want to:
give their magic more character and impact
introduce elegant and surprising moments of pickpocketing
understand spectator psychology and audience management
transform raw technique into genuine theatrical art
develop a strong, funny, and memorable stage identity
Whether you are an ambitious beginner or an experienced professional, you will find within these pages a solid framework and a rare source of inspiration.